[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 112 (Thursday, July 23, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D905-D907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
OVERSIGHT--CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held an 
oversight hearing on the Capitol Visitor Center. Testimony was heard from 
Stephen Ayers, Acting Architect of the Capitol; Terri Rouse, CEO, Visitor 
Services for the Capitol Visitor Center; Phillip Morse, Chief, U.S. Capitol 
Police; Bernie Ungar, CVC Project Executive; and Terrell Dorn, Director, 
Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO.
NATIONAL DEFENSE STOCKPILE RECONFIGURATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing on 
proposed reconfiguration of the National Defense Stockpile. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Rick A. 
Lowden, Senior Materials Analyst, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary, 
(Industrial Policy); and Cornel Holder, Administrator, National Defense 
Stockpile Center, Defense Logistics Agency; and a public witness.
SECTION 8 VOUCHER REFORM ACT OF 2009
Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 3045, 
Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2009.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND VULNERABLE SOCIETIES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the 
Global Environment held a hearing on From L'Aquila to Copenhagen: Change and 
Vulnerable Societies. Testimony was heard from Thomas Karl, Director, 
National Climate Data Center, NOAA, Department of Commerce; and public 
witnesses.
U.S. INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST ORGANIZATIONS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Europe held a hearing on Radio 
Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America: Soft Power and the Free Flow 
of Information. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Broadcasting Board of Governors: Jeffrey Gedmin, President and CEO, Radio 
Free Europe/Radio Liberty; and Danforth W. Austin, Director, Voice of 
America.
FEDERAL AIR MARSHAL SERVICE
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Management, Investigations 
and Oversight met in executive session to hold a hearing entitled 
``Protecting the Protectors: Examining the Personnel Challenges Facing the 
Federal Air Marshal Service.'' Testimony was heard from Robert Bray, 
Assistant Administrator/Director, Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air 
Marshal Service, Transportation Security

[[Page D906]]

Administration, Department of Homeland Security; Stephen Lord, Director, 
Homeland Security and Justices Issues, GAO; and a public witness.
ENGAGING THE ELECTORATE
Committee on House Administration: Held a hearing on Engaging the 
Electorate--Strategies for Expanding Access to Democracy. Testimony was 
heard from Cameron P. Quinn, former Secretary, Board of Elections, State of 
Virginia; and public witnesses.
CATASTROPHIC ATTACK--CONTINUITY OF CONGRESS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, 
and Civil Liberties held a hearing on Continuity of Congress in the Wake of 
a Catastrophic Attack. Testimony was heard from Representatives Baird and 
Rohrabacher; R. Eric Petersen, Analyst, American National Government, CRS, 
Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, 
Refugees, Border Security, and International Law approved for full Committee 
action the following measures: H.R. 3290, September 11 Family Humanitarian 
Relief and Patriotism Act of 2009; and H. J. Res. 26, Proclaiming Casimir 
Pulaski to be an honorary citizen of the United States posthumously.
  The Subcommittee began markup of H.R. 42, Commission Wartime Relocation 
and Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese Descent Act.
  Will continue tomorrow.
  The Subcommittee also approved requests to the Department of Homeland 
Security for Departmental Reports on the Beneficiaries of certain private 
bills.
AMERICA VIEW GEOSPATIAL IMAGERY MAPPING PROGRAM ACT; OVERSIGHT--FEDERAL 
GEOSPATIAL DATA MANAGEMENT
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
H.R. 2489, America View Geospatial Imagery Mapping Program Act. Testimony 
was heard from Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director, U.S. Geological Survey, 
Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also held an oversight hearing on Federal Geospatial Data 
Management. Testimony was heard from Karen C. Siderelis, Geospatial 
Information Officer, Department of the Interior; Michael Byrne, Geospatial 
Information Officer, State of California; and public witnesses.
E-VERIFY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government 
Management, Organization and Procurement held a hearing entitled ``E-Verify: 
Challenges and Opportunities.'' Testimony was heard from Gerri Ratliff, 
Deputy Associate Director, National Security and Records Verification 
Directorate, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of 
Homeland Security; David Rust, Deputy Commissioner, SSA, Department of 
Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED 
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010
The Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 7 to 4, a structured 
rule providing for consideration of H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2010. The rule provides one hour of general debate 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of 
the Committee on Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule 
XXI. The rule provides that the bill shall be considered as read through 
page 134, line 12. The rule waives points of order against provisions in the 
bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI.
  The rule makes in order the amendments printed in the report of the 
Committee on Rules. The rule provides that each such amendment may be 
offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a 
Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be 
debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and 
controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not be subject to a 
demand for division of the question in the House on in the Committee of the 
Whole. All points of order against such amendments are waived except those 
arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI.
  The rule provides that for those amendments reported from the Committee of 
the Whole, the question of their adoption shall be put to the House en gros 
and without demand for division of the question. The rule provides one 
motion to recommit with or without instructions.
  The rule provides that after disposition of the amendments specified in 
the first section of the rule, the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Appropriations or their designees each may offer one pro forma 
amendment to the bill for the purpose of debate, which shall be controlled 
by the proponent. The rule provides that the Chair may entertain a motion 
that the Committee rise only if offered by the chair of the Committee on 
Appropriations or his designee and that the Chair may not entertain a motion 
to strike out the enacting words of the bill (as described in clause 9 of 
rule XVIII). Finally, the rule provides that during consideration of the 
bill, the Chair may reduce to two minutes the minimum time for electronic 
voting. Testimony was heard from Chairman Obey and Representatives Polis, 
Sestak, Tiahrt, Kingston, Pence, King (IA), Franks (AZ), Kline, McCaul, 
Wittman, and Cao.

[[Page D907]]


ELECTRIC SMART GRID IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment 
held a hearing on Effective Transforming Our Electric Delivery System to a 
Smart Grid. Testimony was heard from George Arnold, National Coordinator, 
Smart Grit Interoperability, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
Department of Commerce; the following officials of the Department of Energy: 
Patricia Hoffman, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity Delivery 
and Energy Reliability; Suedeen G. Kelly, Commissioner, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission; and public witnesses.
SBA'S CAPITAL ACCESS PROGRAMS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Finance and Tax, hearing 
entitled ``Legislative Proposals to Reform the SBA's Capital Access 
Programs.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
EXAMINING QUALITY OF LIFE--ANCILLARY BENEFITS ISSUES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and 
Memorial Affairs held a hearing on Examining Quality of Life and Ancillary 
Benefits Issues. Testimony was heard from Bradley G. Myes, Director, 
Compensation and Pension Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; representatives of veterans organizations; 
and public witnesses.
HIGHWAY TRUST FUND FINANCING
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures held a 
hearing on possible Long-Term Financial Options for the Highway Trust Fund, 
including Member Proposals. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Oberstar, Mica, DeFazio, Meek of Florida, Brady of Texas, Calvert, Smith of 
Washington, Moran of Kansas, and Corrine Brown of Florida.; Roy Kienitz, 
Under Secretary, Policy, Department of Transportation; Allen D. Biehler, 
Secretary, Department of Transportation, State of Pennsylvania; and public 
witnesses.
Joint Meetings
BALANCING WORK AND FAMILY IN THE RECESSION
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine balancing 
work and family in the recession, focusing on employees and employers, after 
receiving testimony from Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute, New 
York, New York; Cynthia Thomas Calvert, University of California Hastings 
College of the Law Center for Work Life Law, San Francisco, California; and 
Karen Nussbaum, Working America, Washington, D.C.
F